President Obama served up red meat for his hard-core supporters in Detroit yesterday, proclaiming that the government’s bailout of General Motors and Chrysler to be a success. Had he not intervened and invested in the two companies, Obama said, they would have fallen into liquidation and 1.1 million jobs would have evaporated. In the past year, the auto industry has regained 55,000 of the 334,000 jobs lost, he went on. “The fact that we’re standing in this magnificent factory today is a testament to the decisions we made,” Obama said while visiting Chrysler’s Jeep Grand Cherokee plant in Detroit. His comments were aimed clearly at the critics on the other side of the political aisle who opposed the bailout 18 months ago and who still criticize government ownership of GM and Chrysler to this day.

So far, it is tough to argue that the bailout hasn’t worked. GM is in the black, having reported an $865 million profit in the first quarter with black ink looking likely for the rest of the year. GM’s results are strong enough that the company is preparing for an initial public offering that should start selling stock in November. Chrysler is at least making an operating profit, which puts the company in much better shape than most analysts thought it would be a year ago. With much lower costs, both companies should be able to make money going forward. Let’s not forget that GM, Chrysler and cross-town rival Ford cut out 2.9 million cars worth of production capacity during the crisis, according to the Center for Automotive Research. That was a quarter of capacity in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Cutting out the fat has allowed them to post profits even though sales are slow.

LONDON — The city is launching a bicycle rental program in hopes of easing congestion in a European capital once known for its gridlock.

London Mayor Boris Johnson, an avid cycling enthusiast, put 4,700 out of a planned 6,000 bikes on the road Friday. Under the program, cyclists will be able to borrow bikes from 400 docking stations throughout the city.

At the start, only those who sign up for membership in advance will be eligible to take part. Membership costs 45 pounds a year, or about $70. Tourists or other casual users will not be eligible for at least a month.

I enjoy mountain biking for the escapism it provides: Disappear into woods, race down single-track paths, lean through turns, crank uphill, all to the audio of an adjacent rushing stream. In one session, I can commune with nature, jack up my adrenaline and check off my daily exercise obligation.

THIS STORY

So I never expected to find myself straddling a mountain bike beneath a roaring interstate overpass in Seattle, a city with enviable proximity to miles of legitimate bike trails.

But here – beneath 12 lanes of Interstate 5, at Exit 168A – a Seattle area cycling club has turned a former hangout for vagrants and junkies into an urban mountain bike park, complete with short trails, jumps, drops, teeter-totters and other so-called “features” designed to satisfy a range of biking abilities.

The I-5 Colonnade is what mountain bikers call a “skills park,” which means that you’re never more than a few feet away from a balance-beam-like log formation or a foot-wide ladder bridge or a “staircase” with 18-inch steps – all features that mountain bikers use to hone balance, jumping and control maneuvers.

All controversies aside, Elon knows how to make loads of money and mastered the art of having a ton of fun while raking cash.. Colbert, one of the best modern day comedic talk show host, gets to grill Musk..The result is captured in the video below..

LOS ANGELES — The region famous for jilting the street car to take up a love affair with the automobile is trying to rekindle its long ago romance with commuter rail.

Los Angeles County voters agreed two years ago to pay a half-cent sales tax over the next 30 years to extend train and rapid bus lines, projects that would routinely require federal assistance.

If successful, the novel plan to borrow billions from the federal government, led by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, would result in the largest transit expansion project in the nation.

But the mayor, who sits on a county transportation board, wants a loan instead of Washington handouts to get the projects built in a decade rather than 30 years. He contends it would save money in the long run, result in more construction jobs and less traffic and pollution.

Under the so-called 30/10 initiative, the sales tax would generate about $5.8 billion over the next 10 years to pay for a dozen projects.

Local transportation officials said another $8.8 billion is needed to pay for the estimated $14.6 billion total cost. By using the future sales tax revenue as collateral for long-term bonds and a low-interest federal loan, the county Metropolitan Transportation Authority could put these projects on the fast track. The county would repay the federal loan over 20 years with proceeds from the sales tax.

The projects include a long-awaited subway extension to the economically vibrant west side of Los Angeles (a plan often called the Subway to the Sea), a regional connector linking three rail lines in the downtown core, plus light rail extensions reaching Los Angeles International Airport and communities to the south and east. In all, completion of these projects would add 78 miles of rail and bus-only lanes to the current, 102-mile system and 77 million annual transit boardings to the MTA’s current 445 million.

The goal of the mid-year workshop is to consider the potential impact of IntelliDrive, and the data it will generate, on the various components of the transportation enterprise, including agency organization, finances, and staffing, in addition to planning, operations, safety, and maintenance. The workshop will bring together public and private sector transportation thought leaders and practitioners to develop research statements that explore how IntelliDrive will affect the work of infrastructure owners and operators.

In addition to the ITS Committee workshop, the ITS Joint Program Office will convene a one-day workshop on Monday September 20, (preceding the TRB meeting) to explore the impact of emerging trends and innovations, shifting priorities and changing requirements on the evaluation of ITS. The release in early 2010 of the U.S. DOT ITS Strategic Research Plan lays out new goals and initiatives in the ITS Program that impact national and local ITS projects.

The ITS Evaluation Program managers are keenly interested in the input from the transportation community on advancing the practice and increasing the value of ITS evaluation, and identifying the evaluation needs of the transportation community. The workshop will give participants the opportunity to provide feedback on the Evaluation Program, share innovative evaluation practices, and identify evaluation needs.This intense and engaging two-part event promises workshop participants a great opportunity to learn and to contribute to the continuing evolution of the ITS program.

Come to San Diego, September 12-15, 2010, for IBTTA’s 78th Annual Meeting & Exhibition, the year’s most highly-anticipated learning and networking event — attracting more than 700 toll industry experts and decision makers from across the globe. Under the theme, Sustainable Transportation, the technical program offers tracks focused on innovation, policy, the economy, and the California tolling experience. Hosted by the California Toll Operators Committee (CTOC), this event features interactive seminars, influential speakers, technical tours and special events, informative exhibits and more! Customized sponsorship and exhibitor packages are available. Visit IBTTA’s website for details.